This Thursday, Météo France had placed the Nord and Pas-de-Calais on storm yellow vigilance. Was the alert level high enough? Around 8 p.m., the first claps of thunder resonated in Amiens. Then the storms moved very quickly towards the North and Pas-de-Calais: in particular the surroundings of Arras, the mining basin and the Lille metropolis, as shown in the maps.lightning strikes from Météo France and the Keraunos institute. The bad weather then moved towards Belgium.
In Courrières, the consequences were dramatic. Lightning struck a football training ground, the Gabriel-Péri stadium, where around thirty people were present. One man died, two others are in absolute emergency following chest problems. The other victims are very shocked and supported by a large rescue deployment.
The asphalt lifted
On the Saint-Léger side, in the south of Arrageois, several streets were flooded very quickly. Mudslides, sometimes carrying wood, swept through the center, lifting the asphalt. Firefighters carried out reconnaissance, while farmers provided assistance. Homes were affected, taking local residents by surprise. A few days ago, the Croisilles and Héninel sectors had already been affected by mudslides.
Mudslides swept through Saint-Léger.
Tornado in formation
Still near Arras, an impressive snorkel was spotted in the sky. This is a tornado in formation, taking the form of a swirling cloud. According to The Weather Channel« Depending on the temperature and humidity of the air, the snorkel forms when the pressure drop in the center of the tornado exceeds a certain value. It will only become a real tornado if it hits the ground, which is not the case here.
Météo France maintains its yellow vigilance for the North and Pas-de-Calais this Friday.
